Thanksgiving story

On Thanksgiving, 2023, I was driving south down Kings Highway to Clarksboro to my sister's house to have dinner with her and my brother who was up from West Virginia. I had the radio on and I was enjoying the music as I enjoyed the gorgeous array of trees along Kings Highway south of Woodbury, tall stately everygreens, expansive golden canopied trees, some scarlet and others nearly empty but clad in a delicate veil of pale leaves on their black ink drawn branches. The radio announcer said 88.5 was going to play the music from The Last Waltz. For those who don't know or who have forgotten, the Last Waltz was a celebration of the last touring concert of The Band, a hugely influential and popular rock band of the 60' and 70's. The final concert was held on Thanksgivingin 1976 in California. Some of their hits were "Up On Cripple Creek" and "The Day They drove Old Dixie Down." My personal favorites were "Ophelia" and "The Shape I'm In" but most of all "I Shall Be Released."

The Band had famously backed Bob Dylan, and in the last concert after 16 yers on the road, they were joined by Dylan as well as Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and other greats of the era. Martin Scorsese filmed the concert and made a now famous documentary from it. His relationship with the lead guitarist, Robbie Robertson, started a whole new career path for Robertson who scored several films for Scorsese including Raging Bull.

Some years ago, I had seen a documtary about Levon Helms. I don't remember much about it other than he died shortly thereafter and that he had suffered a disappointment about the end of the Band and the documentary which he felt gave too much credit to Robertson. An interview with Robertson explained that he understood how Levon Helms felt and that it was simply his perspective and that he loved him like a brother. Robertson had been an only child and the members of the Bankd were like siblings to him.

They are all dead now except Garth Hudson (86) who is in a Care facility in Canada but who still plays the piano. Robertson died this year at 80 of prostate cancer leaving a wife, an ex-wife and two adult children. To many of us The Last Waltz was like the end of our own youth. I was 31 in 1976 when The Band broke up and played their last concert and I was separating from my husband, and starting a new life, truly leaving my youth behind in many ways. Listening to this music really moves me but I don't indulge in the past very often. Nonetheless, it stirred me enough that today, Black Friday, I took the day off from chores and errands, other than walking the dog and I watched the Scorsese documentary The Last Waltz, and a few interviews.

Last fact and an interesting one, Robertson's mother was a Choctaw/Mohawk born and raised on Two Rivers Reserve in Canada. His biological father was Alexander Klegerman, a professional gambler who died in a hit and run accident. So celebrating the life and achievements of Robbie Robertson is also a way to celebrate Native American Heritage on this holiday which is increasingly an opportunity to reflect and observe the culture of First Peoples.

By the way, my daughter and her husband, sister, brother-in-law and her father and step-mother all celebrated Thanksgiving in Woodstock (with the step-mother's mother who lives there and is in her 90's) which is where The Band did their work with Bob Dylan and spent many creative years. The son-in-law and Lavinia's father and brother-in-law are all musicians.

My Thanksgiving was wonderful and meaningful in many ways and I hope yours was too! Happy Trails!

Jo Ann wrightj45@yahoo.com (don't bother with 'comments' - it is destroyed by spam.)